Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-10-14

Womcn Yotcrs i'm Massachusetts.

Senator ingalls,, in his recent article
on "The Sixteenth Amendment" in the
Forum, gives an outline of the working
of school suffrage in Massachusetts. In
that State, he says, the National
movement began, and "the agitation has
been most vigorous and persistent Ere
quent conventions have been held,
bureaus established, newspapers ably
edited, 10 organize and direct public
opinion. The opponents of the measure
have been held mp to scorn and dersiou,
as towards who were afraid tC allow wo-
wen to vote. Those who have ventured
upon the right of private judgment have
been denounced as intellectual felOus,
punishable by outlawry. Professional
agitatOrs, male and female, have devoted
long lives and respectable talents to the
presentation OF the arguments in favor
of equal suffrage, to committees of the
Legislature and TO the people. And they
would not for a while, but aftcrward, like
the unjust judge, they said within them
selves: Because this widow troubleth US
we will avengo her, lest by her continued
coming she weary us" So in 1879 the
school suffrage bill was passed. 1t was
hailed by the sufFragists as the dawn of
new era for women. Hope elevated and
Joy frightened the crests of tho refomr-
ers. 1t was not doubted that the un-
Shackled and liberated women of the Bay
State would
FLOCK To THE POLLING-PLACEs
like doves to their windows. But it re-
sembled the acoustic experiment, whom
the philosophers declared that if all the
inhabitants of the earth would shout
simultaneously they could attract the at
tentiOn of the man in the moon. The
arrangements were made, and when tho
moment arrived everybody was SO anXi-
Gus to hear the Tremendous uproar that
zObody shouted except an old deaf wo-
man in Pekin; and thus, instead of an
unprecedented din, there was an unusal
and embarrassing silence.
The women of Massachusetts have be
trayed an insensibility and Indifference
to their enfranchisemGnt which is shock
ing to the philanthropist and discOurag-
to the patriot. There are 347 cities and
towns in the state. In 770 of these, from
1879 TO 1886 not one woman has ever reg
istered or voted. In 200, or more than
one-half, no woman has ever voted,
though in 30 of these n few have occa-
sionally registered. By the state census
of 1885 there were 442, GIG male voters
and 4S6,3l0 female voters, and Of these,
in 1886, there were 4,219 who registered,
and 1911 who voted, or less than 30 per
cent. of those who registered and ono in
2St of those who were eligible. Tho
population in the interval from 1880 TO
1856 increased nearly 100000 while the
female vote increased 234. IN New
Hampshire women have been eligible to
Office and authorized to vote in school
district affairs since 1879. The same
apathy has prevailed in the GraEite State.
In Concord, where there are 5000 female
voters, since the novelty of the first meet
ing, not 25 have attended. The expert
ID ment has had the same result in Vermont
and elsewhere. The collapse has been
com plete. Like the seed which fell in
stony places, where they had not much
earth, these ideas have sprung up, but
when the sun eau up they were scOrched,
and because they had no root they
withered away. Itis another case of
LEADING TIN HORSE TO WATER;
it shows the futility of attempting to
manufacture reforms, hoping they will
be called for. In explanation of these
embarrassing statistics the champions of
the sixteenth amendment affirm thft
school and municipal affairs are too pal
try and trivial TO attract the attention Of
women, but if they are allowed TO vote for
the President and for members OF the
Legislature and OF Congress, their res
ponse will be immediate and universal.
There is a slight discrepancy between
this depreciation of school and mpniei-
pal suffrage, and the exultinx acclaim
with which their enactment was hailed.
Half loaf is popularly Supposed 20 be
better than no bread, but partial suffrage
is worse than none. If the women of
Massachusetts had been active and zeal
Gus in the exercise of school suffrage
when the opportunity was afforded them,
il would have been a powerful, an un-
answerable, argument in favor of their
advancement to absolute equality with
men in the obligations and responsible
ties of American citizenship. "Thou
hast been faithful over a few things, l
will make thee ruler over many things;
enter thou into the Joy OF thy Lord"
Social and political institutions are
growth and development TO mset the re-
quirements of some a1tecedent and pre-
existing aspirations of the human soul.
Whenever woman wants the ballot and
society needs her snfran shisement, than
the sixteenth amendment will be adopted.
Till then they labor in vain that build it.
There is 10 legislation that can annui the
ordinances of nature, or sbrogate the
statutes of the Almighty.